With each printing project, the paper consumption is analyzed, and trees are automatically reforested across a global network of certified reforestation projects.
Ask your account executive to add PrintReleaf to your next project or to learn more go to www.printreleaf. Think Patented partners with PrintReleaf TM to Help Customers Reach Sustainability Goals Now you can reforest… one print job at a time.
Think Patented is committed to sustainability and is proud to announce this partnership. PrintReleaf empowers businesses to certifiably reduce the environmental impact of using forest products, to sustain and grow the global forestry system…one print job at a time.
PrintReleaf measures your company’s paper consumption. PrintReleaf
PrintReleaf calculates the forest impact of your paper consumption.
Your paper footprint is automatically reforested at planting sites of your choice.
THE CORNERSTONE
e are thrilled to announce that this magazine has been honored with the 2024 Platinum MarCom Award! We think this recognition is a testament to the commitment to deliver meaningful content—and we owe it to the incredible insights from our interviews with industry experts. While AI can perform many tasks, there’s one thing it cannot replace: the genuine, human connection required to capture the authentic voices of the market. True insight comes from listening closely, from engaging directly with real people to understand their perspectives and personalities.
“WHILE AI CAN PERFORM MANY TASKS, THERE’S ONE THING IT CANNOT REPLACE: THE GENUINE, HUMAN CONNECTION REQUIRED TO CAPTURE THE AUTHENTIC VOICES OF THE MARKET.”
As marketers, listening is at the core of our craft. AI may be an invaluable 24/7 assistant, but it cannot replicate the empathy and intuition needed to truly connect with others. The bottom line is that the foundation of business excellence is marketing. In turn, the cornerstone of marketing is listening. In this issue, we’ve curated a collection of interviews where we’ve done just that—listened deeply—to bring you an array of perspectives that resonate with authenticity. Our cover story, “Clockwork,” is an in-depth exploration of the marketing supply chain and strategies to maximize its efficiency. Also, in “Conversion Chronicles - Optimizing Marketing for Better Conversions,” we dive into the tools and strategies that elevate conversion rates and drive success. And don’t miss our inspiring Q&A with Gary Laney, author of “Become a Super Leader and The Power of Strategic Influence,” along with insightful stats on AI’s evolving impact on marketing.
It’s our privilege to bring you this award-winning magazine, one that celebrates the art of listening and aims to inspire marketing minds everywhere. Enjoy the read!
Warmest wishes,
Diana Renner Publisher
02 Cover Story Clockwork
06 Feature Conversion Chronicles
10 Tactics Strategies You Can Use
12 On the Record with Gary Laney Finding the kink in your chain
For more information, contact ThinkPatented.com 937.353.2299
Production Notes
This issue features metallic effects created using the Color-Logic System™, and produced using the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System of CMYK plus ColorLogic BEST Offset Silver Ink. It is printed on the Heidelberg XL 106 using Genuine Gloss 100 lb Cover and 80 lb Text. The insert is printed on the HP 100K Digital Press using Cougar® Smooth 80 lb Cover.
The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf.
The 1,180 lbs of paper used for this project were offset by reforesting 14.19 standard trees. Think Patented is an Authorized Reforestation Partner of PrintReleaf.
CLOCKWORK
FINE TUNING YOUR MARKETING SUPPLY CHAIN
NTRY POINT 1 RECENTLY helped a B2B tech company transform its go-to-market approach. By aligning the company’s revenue team around clear customer targets and goals, Entry Point 1 helped cut their launch time in half and significantly exceeded pipeline targets. The way Tim Hillison sees it, the key wasn’t just creating better processes; it was getting product, sales, marketing and customer success moving as one unit toward clearly defined business objectives.
Hillison, founder and CMO of the Fractional CMO and go-to-market advisory firm, asks that you think about how content consumption has evolved over the past 20plus years. Then, everyone watched the same TV shows at the same time. Today, each of us curates our own unique experiences. B2B marketing is following this same path. The tools and delivery methods will continue to evolve dramatically.
THE SOLUTION ISN’T JUST BETTER PROCESSES; IT’S ORCHESTRATING YOUR REVENUE TEAM WITH CLEAR DIRECTION AND PURPOSE. WHEN EVERYONE MOVES IN SYNC, GUIDED BY DATA AND ALIGNED ON OUTCOMES, YOU TURN CHAOS INTO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.”
— TIM HILLISON, FOUNDER & CMO, ENTRY POINT 1
CLOCKWORK
But here’s what Hillison says won’t change: You will still find success from understanding your customers, knowing your competition and creating experiences that stand out. “While the marketing supply chain (MSC) will transform how we deliver value, these fundamentals remain central to winning markets.
Today’s marketing supply chain involves the entire ecosystem that brings a product from concept to consumer. This includes everything from sourcing materials and managing logistics to creating, distributing and delivering marketing assets across all platforms. In an effective marketing supply chain, the goal is seamless collaboration across all parts of the production and delivery process, which helps ensure brand consistency,
optimized costs and faster time-to-market.
One of the biggest downfalls of any marketing supply chain is getting in your own way. Hillison says the cost of poor marketing operations shows up in several painful ways. First, your best ideas never reach the market. “Too many teams create great content that sits unused, sales decks that never align with campaigns and product stories that don’t match customer needs.”
The Entry Point 1 team recently worked with a company where three different teams created nearly identical content for the same target customer—triple the cost for the same result. Worse, each version told a slightly different story. The real killer
FINDING THE KINK IN YOUR CHAIN
HE FIRST KINK that Suzanne Harston and her team saw in Newcrest Digital’s marketing supply chain was when they started noticing inefficiencies in campaign execution—delays in content production and inconsistent quality. It quickly became clear that Newcrest’s existing processes couldn’t cope with the growing demands and scale of its operations, prompting the Senior Office Coordinator and her team to seek a more robust, scalable solution.
“Not understanding or managing your marketing supply chain can lead to wasted resources, missed deadlines and inconsistent brand messaging,” Harston says. “Without a clear strategy, you end up with frustrated teams and disappointed clients, which ultimately affects your bottom line and reputation.”
Harston says the solution is simple: By embracing a core MSC strategy, you can streamline your processes, reduce costs and ensure consistent quality across all marketing efforts. Nailing the process down enables better resource allocation and improved collaboration with suppliers, ultimately leading to faster time-to-market and enhanced campaign effectiveness.
To create bigger, better, faster marketing supply chains, Harston believes the key is to prioritize building strong relationships with your suppliers, and to continuously evaluate and refine your supply chain processes. Stay flexible, and don’t be afraid to try
new approaches that could enhance your efficiency and effectiveness.
“A robust MSC process lays a strong foundation that allows creative teams to focus on what they do best: innovating and generating fresh ideas. With streamlined operations and reliable suppliers, marketers have more bandwidth to experiment and push
creative boundaries.”
In addition, having your vendor’s senior leadership involved is crucial, a move that will help ensure alignment on strategic goals and facilitates smoother collaboration. “Leadership’s involvement demonstrates commitment, which can lead to more robust partnerships and improved outcomes,” Harston says.
As for the future of MSCs, Hillison and Harston believe the process will likely involve more integration with advanced technology, like AI and machine learning. As marketers move forward, there will be an increased focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing, reflecting growing consumer expectations and corporate responsibility. The best innovations in marketing come from purposeful, welldesigned marketing assets that meet the customer where they are.
A ROBUST MSC PROCESS LAYS A STRONG FOUNDATION THAT ALLOWS CREATIVE TEAMS TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY DO BEST: INNOVATING AND GENERATING FRESH IDEAS.”
— SUZANNE HARSTON, SENIOR OFFICE COORDINATOR, NEWCREST DIGITAL
was when the market opportunities slipped away because they were too slow to respond, i.e., while they were sorting through approval bottlenecks and misaligned teams, their competitors were winning deals.
“As Peter Drucker once said, ‘Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things,’” Hillison says. “The solution isn’t just better processes; it’s orchestrating your revenue team with clear direction and purpose. When everyone moves in sync, guided by data and aligned on outcomes, you turn chaos into a competitive advantage.”
In looking at successful B2B companies today, Hillison says there are three core components that consistently drive
marketing performance. The first is a clear operating model for the revenue team. When product, sales, marketing, and customer success understand how their work connects, execution speeds up and results improve. The second is precise customer targeting. Deep understanding of buyers and their needs shapes every business decision, leading to up to 50% higher customer engagement rates. The third is businessfocused metrics.
“We focus on what drives growth: pipeline velocity, sales conversion and customer retention. When these three components align, marketing becomes a true engine for business growth.”
5 STRATEGIES TO A MORE ROBUST MARKETING SUPPLY CHAIN
✚ VENDOR MANAGEMENT
Select and manage partnerships with vendors (print, digital media, etc.) who align with your brand’s quality standards and timelines.
✚ DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT (DAM)
Use DAM systems to streamline the organization and retrieve marketing assets, which help maintain brand consistency across all channels.
✚ SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
Incorporate eco-friendly practices in material sourcing, production and distribution to meet consumer demanded responsible practices.
✚ DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS
Leverage data analytics to understand demand patterns, optimize resource allocation and personalize marketing efforts.
✚ AUTOMATION AND AI
Utilize automation tools to increase efficiency, reduce errors and enable faster decision-making.
SOURCES: UPGUARD’S “A GUIDE TO VENDOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT;” SMARTSHEET’S “THE ENTERPRISE WORK MANAGEMENT PLATFORM”
Conversion
Chronicles
OPTIMIZING MARKETING FOR BETTER CONVERSIONS
athan Oakley understands the drill. Every click. Every scroll. Every piece of content you use matters. To tell a story in today’s digitally paced landscape—one where marketers are charged with turning casual visitors into loyal customers and brand ambassadors—is a race. As the marketing manager for furniture designer RJ Living, the daily grind overseeing the brand’s paid and organic marketing, content production, and technical departments must end in the culmination of conversions, a key
performance indicator (KPI) that measures the success of the marketing campaign.
The identifying, engaging, and converting of an audience is a continual science—a meticulous process that involves a careful blend of data analysis, personalized engagement, and strategic messaging. To optimize conversions, Oakley says the first step is knowing exactly who your audience is. That means looking beyond general demographics and diving deep into customer surveys, purchase histories, and social media behavior. “When you have the right insights, you can move from guessing to truly understanding what
drives customers to act.”
Data sources such as customer surveys give marketers direct insights into their audience’s needs, while purchase data and social media metrics reveal their behaviors, interests, and shopping patterns. With these insights in hand, segmenting an audience becomes not just easier, but essential to your marketing success. “Some of the best ways to identify your target audience are through things like customer surveys, purchase data, and social media insights to better pinpoint who you’re looking at,” Oakley says. “Methods like this will let you gather direct feedback from your customers to see what drives them to make a purchase.”
This, and information from RJ Living’s ecommerce platform, helps make it easier to segment its audience based on their demographics, behaviors, and interests. “All in all, this will make it easier to refine your approach and better communicate with your different customer segments,” Oakley says.
Once you know your audience, the next step is tracking behavior and adjusting your campaigns accordingly. Here, data
SOME OF THE BEST WAYS TO IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ARE THROUGH THINGS LIKE CUSTOMER SURVEYS, PURCHASE DATA, AND SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS TO BETTER PINPOINT WHO YOU’RE LOOKING AT.”
— NATHAN OAKLEY, MARKETING MANAGER,
analytics tools like Google Analytics and Shopify reporting come into play. By monitoring metrics such as bounce rates, page visits, and conversion pathways, Oakley says marketers can pinpoint which parts of the customer journey need enhancement. Imagine discovering that most visitors drop off at a specific point on your site or that particular ad copy is outperforming others—these insights empower marketers to optimize and test new approaches on the fly.
Personalization is another gamechanger. Today’s customers expect brands to meet them where they are, whether that’s a timely abandoned cart reminder, a personalized product recommendation, or a thank-you message after a purchase. For example, using platforms like Klaviyo, RJ Living creates targeted email flows triggered
SET GOALS. ATTACK. REPEAT.
Founded in 2021, HarvestIQ specializes in risk management solutions for agriculture. By leveraging integrations with real-time data sources, the software company’s platform presents a comprehensive view of revenue and profitability to empower farmers and their advisors to make data-driven risk management decisions.
With a team of professionals from risk management, agricultural management, insurance, banking, and data science, the company is dedicated to providing best-in-class software solutions that help you visualize risk and revenue with real-time marked-to-marked positions on cash sales, CME futures and options, and USDA insurance programs. Founder and marketing head Nathaniel Miller has spent considerable time fine-tuning the platform’s approach in the marketplace by creating targeted campaigns with targeted
RJ LIVING
based on specific customer behaviors.
Consistency is another key, which includes making sure a brand’s messaging is uniform across all of its channels (social media, email and website) to create a seamless experience. Testing also is vital to see what is working and what isn’t. Running A/B tests on landing pages, email subject lines and social ads can help pinpoint what resonates.
“We prioritize metrics like ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), conversion rates, and average order value,” Oakley says. “These metrics give us a clear picture of what’s working and what needs adjustment. For example, if we see a lower conversion rate in a particular segment, we’ll dig deeper into the data to understand why and adjust our messaging or target accordingly.”
goals. “You have to outline the goal of your campaign. Is it to generate leads for your product? Or maybe to get attendance at an event? Whatever the goal, just make sure you have a clear picture of what success looks like. Next, you’ll need to outline your target audience.”
Miller believes the best way to enhance conversion rates is by understanding your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Build a detailed list of who you want to target based on segmented data from your audience list. Next, decide what channel you want for your campaign. “Some channels are better than others, depending on the goals. If you’re looking to invite qualified leads to an event, email might be the best method. As your campaign runs, you’ll need to make sure and give it time to test. I try to test for two to three months if possible, but the minimum is at least two weeks.”
While the campaign runs, Miller captures as much data as possible. He specifically wants to know if the customers are new or someone HarvestIQ already has interacted with, what region, which product they would be interested in, what content caused the click, and then ultimately if they convert. “You need to analyze your data to ensure that
nothing is negatively impacting your goal. If leads aren’t converting then maybe you need to switch up something.”
During a recent campaign, HarvestIQ was looking for more qualified leads, so it shifted from traffic-focused ads to Facebook Lead ones. The ads were designed to capture interest within Facebook, making it easy for potential customers to connect. By using advanced audience targeting and integrating the leads directly into its HubSpot CRM utilizing Zapier, the company generated 85% more leads in the first month, each just $3.57—well below the average cost per lead.
“The sales team connected with 50% of the leads, and just one sale more than covered the cost of the entire campaign,” Miller says. “The approach helped build long-term industry connections beyond just generating initial leads.”
In the end, as marketers like Oakley and Miller will attest, enhancing conversions is a continuous cycle of understanding, engaging, and optimizing. Through the right mix of audience insights, data-driven adjustments, and personalized engagement, you can turn each touchpoint into an opportunity for conversion success.
AI BIG PICTURE STUFF
The Global Economic Impact of AI
❱ AI-driven business activities forecasted to add $19.9 trillion to the global economy by 2030
Investment in AI as a Strategic Priority
❱ 98% of business leaders view AI as essential for competitive advantage.
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL DATA CORPORATION (IDC) GLOBAL IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON ECONOMY AND JOBS REPORT (WWW.IDC.COM)
Impact on Employment
❱ While AI will automate some roles, it is anticipated to create new, specialized positions, such as AI Ethics Specialists and AI Prompt Engineers.
❱ Positions involving social interaction, ethical decisionmaking, and nuanced human understanding are more likely to be enhanced by AI rather than replaced.
❱ One CEO said, “AI will not replace your job, but someone who knows how to use AI better than you will.”
AI-SSISTANCE
STUDY SHOWS HOW—AND WHY— AI CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS
You’re busy, right? On any given day, you might be fulfilling orders, engaging with customers in person, managing staff or any number of other tasks. Want some extra time? Enter artificial intelligence (AI). According to Constant Contact’s recent ”Small Business Now: An AI Awakening” study, 74% are interested in using AI or automation to save time. Here’s a look at some of the challenges that typically require the most time/attention:
31% ... ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS
17% HIRING AND RETAINING STAFF
14% ... CONVERTING LEADS TO SALES
11% .... MARKETING TO TARGET AUDIENCE
8% ACCESS TO FUNDS/CAPITAL
7% ..... COMPLICATED AND/OR INEFFECTIVE DIGITAL MARKETING
6% LACK OF EXPERTISE IN DIGITAL MARKETING
6% ..... IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER
THE AI BANDWAGON
I don’t think anyone knows where this is all going, except that we’re going there fast, whether or not we should be.”
- Sam Altman, CEO OpenAI
TECHNOLOGY, MARKETING AND WHAT TODAY’S FIRMS ARE DOING
There is no question that more and more marketing teams are jumping on the generative AI bandwagon when it comes to marketing funnels.
According to Gartner’s “Generative AI in Marketing” report, 48% say they are using generative AI in some part of their marketing funnel, with 43% saying while they are not, they plan to. For those adopting the strategy
into their campaigns, speed to market and enhanced productivity are the wins. Here’s a snapshot into which marketing functions are currently using generative AI:
What do you believe is the most crucial step for leaders who want to transition from “status quo” to “super leader” status?
To achieve leadership skills and expertise, you must first identify your passion, that one thing that will ignite a fire in you, and create a purposeful mindset. You must take the time to experience a mental vision of your future. Raise your sights, look to the horizon, envision yourself as a high performing leader, and—this is the most important thing—follow a personal weekly plan to identify, develop, and acquire the leadership competencies and then the competitive superpower that will set you apart from the competition. Your mindset and goal should be to recognize your deficiencies, learn from them, and constantly strive to improve and to create proficiencies. In this way, the path to becoming a highly competent and influential leader is open to you, but only if you’re willing to put in the effort.
What does a typical week of a self-development plan look like and explain how consistent small steps lead to big changes in leadership ability?
The foundation to the self-mastery program I developed for the book are principles of self-improvement inspired by Benjamin Franklin, who at age 20 in 1726, identified 13 virtues for use in a self-learning program with the end goal of mastering his character. His program was genius and perpetual as it allowed him to focus on each of the 13 virtues one week at a time, four times each year. For the entirety of his life, he consistently practiced one
SUPER LEADERSHIP
A CONVERSATION WITH GARY LANEY
Standing out as a truly influential leader can feel like an elusive goal. For Gary Laney, though, influential leadership is not only attainable but also a skill that anyone can learn. In his new book, “Become a Super Leader: The 4 Essentials for Mastering Influential Leadership,” Gary shares a powerful roadmap for achieving exceptional leadership that goes far beyond simply holding a title. Drawing from his own extensive experiences and the lessons of industry leaders, Gary outlines practical, real-world strategies for leaders looking to elevate their impact, influence, and effectiveness.
virtue per week. After a lifetime of dedicated selfapplication, he became known as one of history’s most famous polymaths, becoming proficient and even an expert in many of these skillsets.
In the book, I provide critical details for following a systematic eight-step process which should be followed closely during the first 13-week period. The eight steps include Preparation, Gaining a Perspective and Purpose for each Competency, Setting Goals, Getting Started, Engaging in Daily Reflection and Weekly Journaling, Engaging in Annual Proficiency Reflection, Lessons Learned, Proficiency Rating, Setting New Goals for the next year, and then Beginning Anew.
that few others in my industry possess?
To answer these questions, we must first understand that acquiring a competitive superpower is a process, not a destination. Even Benjamin Franklin said that after a lifetime of working on his character mastery self-improvement program, that he failed in becoming perfect in them: “On the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the Perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell short of it,” he wrote. “Yet as I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier Man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
How can leaders identify which competency or attribute to focus on, and what advice do you have for honing that into a true competitive advantage?
To identify a potential superpower or super competency, ask yourself: Among the very best of the best, what will truly set me apart? What are my strengths? What’s my unique proposition? What competency will become my competitive superpower
The reason we’ll first discuss the Top 40 leadership competencies and then developing a list of 13 to focus on in our self-mastery program, is because leaders need to become competent, proficient, and skillful in multiple aspects of business so they can offer a general view, a professional opinion, and provide value toward the entirety of the business. This allows you to choose from the best of the best competencies as revealed in my research by leaders around the world. This doesn’t mean the leader needs to acquire expert skills in every aspect
of the organization, but they need enough competency to be able to contribute and relate to the whole of the business. Without that general and competent viewpoint, a senior leader, entrepreneur, or business owner can’t effectively guide a great company.
What would you say is the most valuable skill or mindset a leader can cultivate to stand out? How does “Become a Super Leader” help readers achieve this? If I had to choose just one, for me it would be integrity. Few other competencies can match the power of integrity which can build or destroy your reputation based upon your attainment or lack of it. Integrity defines the character of a leader in a way no other competency can because it’s all about trust and honesty which will reflect on your reputation, judgment, and ultimately the influence you acquire. Integrity is a lifelong quest. For me personally, it is a competency that has become a high priority in my life and a
competency I have worked hard to develop throughout my life, but always feeling it is nearly impossible to fully achieve since I think of it as perfection of character, one of those great 13 virtues Benjamin Franklin also sought to obtain throughout his life.
What is the biggest misconception about influential leadership, and how does your book address and challenge that misconception?
I would say that the biggest misconception is that as people rise in their careers, some may get the impression that acquiring titles, degrees, and authority automatically create influence, but these achievements don’t necessarily equate to being influential as a leader. From the companion book I wrote, “The Power of Strategic Influence,” I teach that the title of influential leader is not and cannot be self-proclaimed. It must be earned and can only be bestowed upon you by others.
Few emerging leaders are winners
on this scale. It’s not a job for the faint of heart. But here’s the secret: Influential leadership can be learned! Acquiring competitive competencies is achievable, and developing one or more leadership attributes into a personal superpower is doable. It just requires a weekly self-development plan provided in this book, that you consistently apply to your daily routine. You will see that little by little, stride by stride, over time your skills, your confidence, and your ability to lead others will magnify and the results will be off the charts.
Independence may have been your objective when you were progressing from dependence to adulthood and beginning a career, but once you become an emerging leader and are ready to commit to the journey of becoming influential, you must accept the notion that further progress in leadership has everything to do with interdependence. In the quest for influential leadership, interdependence is your objective and creating a legacy is your destiny.
To our valued customers and partners, thank you for making 2024 a year of remarkable achievements and fulfilled resolutions.
Best wishes for the New Year from Think Patented.
“We overcome challenges and perform with a heightened level of energy, superior service, and a can do attitude.”
